GM has filed a patent for a system that will be able to detect and monitor vibrations in a vehicle’s wheels and tires.
The new General Motors patent application has been assigned patent number US 11,815,426 B2 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and was published on November 14th, 2023. The patent was originally filed on October 16th, 2020, and lists several Canadian-based engineers as the inventors, including Anushya Viraliur Ponnuswami, Joseph K. Moore, Halit Zengin, Eungkil Lee, and Mansoor Alghooneh.
The patent describes a system that incorporates a plurality of encoders and an analyzer, with the encoders providing multiple pulse train signals from multiple vehicle wheels. As each encoder provides pulse signals to the analyzer, the analyzer generates multiple pulse per revolution signals and angular velocity signals in response. The analyzer also incorporates an input phasor array representative of the pulse per revolution signals, which enables the generation of a report that can identify at least one vibrating wheel and tire in the system.
As the patent points out, vibrations are a common occurrence in motor vehicles, and wheels and tires can vibrate with each rotation. This periodic vibration can result from manufacturing defects, normal wear on the tires, irregular tire thickness, or other possible reasons. As such, a system capable of monitoring for tire and wheel vibrations would prove to be useful. Although the patent does not mention autonomous vehicles (AVs) specifically, it’s conceivable that this system could prove particularly useful in applications where there is no human pilot to monitor the vehicle status, such as long-haul autonomous trucking or autonomous ride hailing services.
More recently, GM has filed to patent a system that enables a wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) trailer connection, as well as a crash protection system that can protect passengers lying down in a vehicle. Further GM patent filings made this year include a system that can estimate EV energy consumption when off-roading and an aroma-based in-vehicle notification system.
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Comments
You’re just a bigoted fool.
But it’s true. Unless you have a better response than calling me a fool, as this is, originated from Canada… 40% of the publishers should be french, 40 should be Anglo Saxon. Instead we got 1/5 that’s either. The rest appear Asian/middle Eastern. If anyone is racist in this scenario it’s GM. The fact that out of a pool of engineers that is 80-90% Caucasian, they chose racial minorities 80% of the time is Very racist! GM is the biggot here.
Keep on ranting. You’re just proving my point.
Ok…so what problem does this solve?
It literally says what it’s for in the story above.
Steve, not that it matters but the US is 60% white. You seem obsessed with race considering it has absolutely nothing to do with this story.
Maybe you should see a therapist.
It does when it’s obvious GM is bypassing 80% of candidates to get one with different skin color and not because of their experience. I want GM to succeed, but between them and Ford preferring race/gender identity as the main qualification for jobs, what their going to get is the bottom of the barrel underperformers. Unfortunately Toyotas owners while they don’t hire that way, don’t let their engineers pursue anything innovative. Look at the result right here. A patent that doesn’t fix a problem nobody has. Couldn’t they have spent the last year fixing maybe GM’s body control module problems instead????
You’re equating whiteness or being male to being qualified and being a minority / woman as unqualified. Get help.
Negative. I’m pointing out statistics. When the vast majority of candidates are from a certain demographic, there should be a fairly even spread of skill and intelligence, yet in this case it’s obvious, skill isn’t being taken into consideration.
Have we already forgotten the Oceangate submarine catastrophe, and how their CEO said , “I find white men uninspiring.” You hire the best, regardless of color or background. That’s not what’s happening here. Or have you never heard of affirmative action before. That’s old school to diversity quotas.
I’m no longer engaging with you after this but if you say something factually untrue like America is 80% white, your source of statistics is wrong and you’re just projecting your prejudice.
Can you read!?!? The article says this originates from CANADA! Which is approximately 40% Anglo Saxon (white) 40% french(white) and most the rest is Asian. A little native American and Hispanic tossed in as well, but mostly Asian. PLEASE READ before firing off. Good rule for life generally.
What, because a human can’t detect a vibration or shake in the steering wheel? Good grief, just another buying expense
Not all patents are built, most just sit and used as a bargaining chip. What it really means is the process where wheel vibrations can be detected. If another manufacture comes up with a vibration sensor system, GM can presumably ask for the other company a licensed fee or share other patents that the other manufacturer have.
Large engineering companies push for patent filings. In 2020 IBM won over 9100 patents.
newsroom(dot)ibm(dot)com/2021-01-12-IBM-Tops-U-S-Patent-List-for-28th-Consecutive-Year-with-Innovations-in-Artificial-Intelligence-Hybrid-Cloud-Quantum-Computing-and-Cyber-Security
You are absolutely correct. There is huge money in earning patents for systems or component designs that may or may not ever be used, because if used they are used at some point that is worth a significant sum of money from other brands.
In the case of the patent in question, this could be very useful at the engineering and service technician level. Being able to capture and record NVH frequency and amplitude measurements directly on the vehicle, can allow diagnostics to be incorporated into the scan tool.
That could negate the need for technicians to us third party NVH diagnostic equipment to identify the cause, saving time by identifying a specific wheel end NVH concern. Isolating and identifying it without installing external devices can save a “ton” of time hanging accelerometers, microphones and routing the wiring into the vehicle.
finally! now we might be able to prove they cant balance a tire instead of being told “cant replicate”
if this ever becomes a thing that is
Any repair facility with training and tooling in NVH diagnostics has had that capability for many, many years. Unfortunately, your comment is one that is frequently expressed after a dissatisfied visit for tire balancing.
The fact is that it may be far more complex than lesser skilled tire installers are capable of who have little or no diagnostic skills.
FWIW, I spent 23 years in a GM dealership with NVH as one of my primary specialities performing successful diagnosis and repairs. I continue that in training.
Many shops have no interest in NVH because it requires, training, knowledge, skill and equipment that is expensive, but necessary. Years ago, suspected tire imbalance typically involved re-balancing, rotating, swapping with like assemblies and more, which was time consuming.
Performing physical run out measurements and use of older diagnostic tools required mathematical calculations, so you might guess that many were and still are not interested. Today, the equipment used is software-driven, sophisticated and can be purchased for cell phones. No more multiple wheel and tire off work. If the fault is isolated to the left front, that is the only area where inspections and measurements are required.
Typically, shops would rather perform more lucrative retail service and repairs all day. That mindset arose typically from having tire and wheel issues that consumed may
FWIW, approximated 95% of NVH concerns have been tire and wheel assembly related. Unfortunately, not all who sell and provide tire service are properly training in mounting and balancing or diagnosis. It is way more involved than the basics
Also unfortunate is that not all new tires are within NVH specified limits allowed by the vehicle manufacturer. When properly mounted and balanced, radial and lateral run out and Road Force Variation will be well within specifications. That may require remounting tires on the rims.
When a new tire is rejected at installation multiple times before acceptable NVH is achieved, suppliers who just see tires as round “donuts”, tend to get cranky.
This is one reason why vehicle dealerships now typically sell tires directly to customers and deal with such manufacturing qualities behind the scenes.
However, outside of dealership specialists and capable aftermarket shops, there continues to be little interest in getting involved in NVH diagnostics, even though tooling has advanced and prices dropped to be extremely affordable.
Sadly, the customer experience can be poor.
not “their”, but they’re (they are)